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Health effects of a vegetarian diet
Health effects of a vegetarian diet
Impact of veganism on the body
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“The vegan diet is healthy and leads to a compassionate lifestyle. I’ve gotten so many benefits. My weight is easily maintained, my skin glows, I sleep better and I feel more energized,” says Meagan Duhamel, a Canadian pair skater and an Olympic silver medalist (Duhamel 7). A vegan diet is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meats, fish, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. “Vegan” is also a term to address people who are on a vegan diet. Vegan people eat only plant-based foods, so a vegan diet is known as good for losing weight. Another reason people become vegan is because most animals are injected with steroids, hormones, and other drugs in order to make them bigger to produce more meat. Some people become vegans …show more content…
A vegan diet leads to lower BMIs, and a smart vegan diet is more effective for healthy weight loss than other diets. It is because vegans can cut calories even though they eat until they feel full. Majority of them also found that their energy is much higher since they started a vegan diet. Vegan Urbanite says, “Several studies indicate that those following a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle live an average of three to six years longer than those who do not” (4). A vegan diet has a lot of benefits to human’s body, so their life can be longer than non-vegans.
While there are definite benefits to weight loss for overall health, a sudden and rapid decrease can be dangerous for people’s body. Because vegan diets are so restrictive, many vegans who try a vegan diet at first time may find that they’re hungrier than usual. Some of them have experiences that they ate non-healthy foods like highly processed carbs, sugary, fatty foods and even vegan-formulated snack to fill up. It is completely the opposite effect, and they might gain their
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however, calcium, needed for strong bones, is found in dark green vegetables, tofu made with calcium sulfate, calcium-fortified soy milk and orange juice, and many other foods commonly eaten by vegans. Although lower animal protein intake may reduce calcium losses. Vegans should eat foods that are high in calcium and/or use a calcium supplement.
Also, there are some products that vegans can take in enough amount of omega-3 fatty acids. In order to maximize production of DHA and EPA (omega-3 fatty acids), vegans should include good sources of alpha-linolenic acid in their diets such as flaxseed, flaxseed oil, canola oil, tofu, soybeans, and walnuts.
Vitamin D is also a significant nutrient that vegans cannot take enough amount from vegan foods because it is found in animal product as well. However, it can be made by taking sunlight. The Veganism in a Nutshell says, “At least ten to fifteen minutes of summer sun on hands and face two to three times a week is recommended for adults so that vitamin D production can occur” (6). Also, there are some vitamin D fortified foods that they can eat such as soy milk and almond
..., non-heme iron will be the prime source of iron implicated in her diet, which has been discovered to be a less absorbing iron found in plant-based sources than in comparison to heme iron, which is predominantly found in animal products. In order to effectively enhance the absorption of non-heme iron, adequate intake of vitamin C needs to be initiated within her diet. Zinc and iron must not be consumed in excess of each other in order to prevent deficiencies of either due to their counteracting mechanisms; however, it is not a major problem in vegan diets due to its rare incidence. Although Jenny Brown does not initiate supplements in her diet, Jenny can still receive adequate nutritional benefits that are essential for her health by consuming a variety of plant-based sources and following the recommended requirements of nutritional intakes, according to her status.
There's little doubt that the Earth is in a crisis. The human population is hungrily burning through its resources while simultaneously destroying its ecological balance. While catastrophe seems imminent, there is one small change each person could make in life that would lessen the devestating impact and minimalize our ecological footprint: Veganism.
Rachel K. Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association and professor of nutrition and Medicine at the University of Vermont says, “[Your risk of heart disease reduces] because of the fatty red meats and many processed meats that are high in saturated fat, which raises LDL cholesterol which increases risk of coronary heart disease.” Being vegetarian doesn’t just help women with heart disease, but it helps with so much more. For one it helps lower your blood pressure, in a research that was done on a group of people it was found that only vegetarians were found with the lowest blood pressure (Alexandra p.1). Secondly it helps lower the risk of death. A 2013 study showed that more than 70,000 people found that vegetarians had a twelve percent lower risk of death compared with non-vegetarians (Alexandra p.2) With the absence of the saturated fat and cholesterol that clogs arteries, vegetarians are at a lower risk for chronic disease overall. Thirdly, when being a vegetarian you are also in a better mood. “ A 2012 study randomly split participants into three diets: all-meat allowed, fish-only and vegetarian no-meat. The researchers found that after two weeks, the people on the vegetarian diet reported more mood improvements than those on the other two diets.”(Alexandra p.3). Being a vegetarian also gives you a less risk of being over weight, which we all know has been one of the biggest problems here in America. Too many people are overweight and are not doing
Vegan life is healthier for the nutritional benefits are better when compared to non-vegan eating. The majority of people in the world consume a diet, which contains food derived from animals. Those who have animal derived diets follow such a diet due to commonly known nutrition benefits and taste that come with the diet. Although, most people were told that such a diet was healthy, they wouldn’t follow such a diet if they knew the harm that came with it. Furthermore, several people know they require fruits, vegetables, and grains, according to the commonly known food nutrition chart. However, some people do not know that animal derived food is not necessary and that there are other healthier foods to replace them. Vegan diets follow the food chart needs without consuming food that come from animals by replacing the nutritional benefits that come from animals with plant-based foods that also have the same nutritional benefits.
This is actually not true. A vegan diet is no worse or better than a meat diet, it all depends on how balanced your diet is (Anisman-Reiner). Like with any diet a person has to be sure they are eating enough and receiving enough nutrients that their body needs to run. In any diet a person can have too much bad and not enough good, if a person eats too many fats and processed food they could become at risk for many health issues; a person on either a meat or vegan diet can be affected by this. What many people don’t know is that on a vegan diet a person can get all the nutrients a person can get on the traditional meat diet. One thing that many people often wonder is “Where do you get calcium if you don’t eat dairy?” A misleading fact in today’s society is that you need dairy to get calcium but this isn’t true. Countless other foods have calcium and a person on a vegan diet will eat more of these foods than a non-vegan making it easy for them to get all the calcium they need. A person who consumes 2,000 calories a day should have the equivalent of
People who are against vegetarianism believe that vegetarians don’t get enough nutrients in their diet. Vegetarians and vegans could easily become deficient in vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, and the fatty acids EPA & DHA, and vitamins A & D that are fat-soluble. Vitamin B12 deficiency is the most common among vegetarians and vegans which could lead to fatigue, weakness, memory loss, anemia, neurological, and psychiatric problems. In Western vegetarians, zinc deficiency can fall below the recommended levels
According to Bonnie Beezhold et.al found that vegans and vegetarians, “…report better mood than non-vegetarians, suggesting that even less animal food intake is associated with better mood” (293). Also, Beezhold et.al, “…have found that the risk of major chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes may be reduced by adopting a completely plant-based diet vs. an omnivore diet” (Beezhold et.al 289). Overall, the medical community has agreed that veganism is a healthy option to avoid disease, but their concerns are that vegans will be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals that the regular omnivores are not deficient in. If a vegan is deficit in a certain mineral or vitamin that person can take supplements to combat it. People can say that if I take supplements will that make me healthy even though I consume meat? No, because you are consuming meat and that can clog arteries and increase cholesterol. I think that veganism is probably one of the healthiest options available for everyone. I also think that it is the healthiest because you do not see people become fat off of eating vegetables and fruits. I also agree with Beezhold et.al findings which show that vegans have less stress and anxiety because of the food they ate. Beezhold et.al think this may be because omnivores consume meat and the food the animals were fed where “…higher in certain
People love to eat meat. For over two million years, humans have relied on eating meat in order to survive or simply just because they enjoy the taste. Early humans had more powerful jaws and larger teeth and relied on meat as one of their main sources of food. As evolution took place and humans evolved, they developed smaller teeth and were only able to eat the meat if it was cooked. With humans evolving and being able to survive on foods other than meat, meat does not have to necessarily be a part of human diet anymore. Although many people have opted for a vegetarian lifestyle, most people still continue to eat meat and do not consider it a cruel act. Many have also stopped eating meat due health risks and environmental concern. Whether
An even more serious symptom of vegetarian diet is calcium deficiency: calcium deficiency inhibits bone growth, even causing proactive weakening of bone structures, and eventually osteoporosis and death. Again, many vegetarians take supplements or get their calcium from dairy products, which are produced b...
Many people have always wondered why people who had always ate meat their entire lives, decide to become vegetarians. People would presume that they wanted to lose weight, become healthier, or even just to try it out. Several would say non-vegetarianism is healthier and could help your body; however, vegetarians can be healthy too by what they eat and how much they eat of that particular food. Although I eat meat and I’m not a vegetarian, being a vegetarian can help your body in more ways than one and have many advantages in helping your body. Many become vegetarians to remove non-healthy things from their body, are animal lovers, or even religious or cultural reasons.
The vegan diet can be a very healthy way of life. There have been some research studies that have shown vegans are significantly lower in weight, they have lower blood pressure and lower levels of cholesterol than normal vegetarians and meat eaters. These health benefits are apparent because vegans consume more dietary fiber, about two to three times more than their meat-eating counter parts, which have been shown to reduce cholesterol, blood glucose levels and protect against colon cancer. Their diets are higher in potassium, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins C and E and the health-promoting phytochemicals which have all been proven to reduce the risk for heat disease, arthritis, prostate and other cancers, and may improve bone health (Vegetarian Diet). Vegans are less likely to suffer from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers because they consume such high levels of plant foods (Vegan Diets: The Pros and Cons). Whatever the reasoning becoming vegan can be a very healthy way of life. ...
Promoters of the vegan lifestyle emphasize that chronic diseases are diminished, protein can be obtained through vegetable sources, and animals would not have to be slaughtered if they have their way. They also list the following advantages of being a vegan.
Numerous people believe that a vegetarian diet is unhealthy for the reason that one is not consuming enough protein since there is a decrease in the consumption of meat. However, meat is not the only source of protein. Nuts and grains contain great amounts of protein, and by eating these in the place of meat, one not only gets protein, but avoids the harmful carbohydrates and fats that are in animal meats. Consuming supplements can also help gain nutrients if the diet is not providing enough. There are countless amounts of nutritional supplements that one can purchase, including fish oil and omega 3s. These can be fairly cheap if purchased at the right place, and easily give bodies the nutrients they crave to function.
With the vegetarian diet the chances of becoming obese are lowered. Obesity is one of the most common chronic diseases. According to the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention every one in three Americans are considered to be obese. An individual is considered obese if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) level of thirty or greater. The BMI level measures one’s body weight while taking into consideration height. Obesity is a condition of having excess body fat. Due to vegetarians consuming less fat in their diet, body fat, and BMI levels, is generally lower. This implies that the chances for becoming obese will be decreased. Consuming the foods in the vegetarian diet is what leads an individual to have a lower BMI level. This is because less fat and fatty acids are being consumed. There is also a high amount of fiber in the vegetarian diet. Fiber is an essential nutrient and can cause...
By not consuming animal protein, there is not a buildup of it in one’s body. An innumerable amount of doctors have proposed animal fats can clog up the arteries of one and cause early death and heart disease. “A major study showed that men in early ages of prostate cancer who switched to a vegan diet either stopped the progress of cancer or may have even reversed the illness.” (2)There are several means to remove these harmful cholesterols out of the body. Eating foods low in cholesterol can help the body move it out of the system. Eating foods high in fiber can help the passage of food throughout the body and help remove the meats. There have been several studies which link meat consumption to colon, kidney, breast, and prostate cancer. Vegetables and fruits help reduce the risk of cancer, and meats and other fatty foods increase risk. Plant foods are also low in fat and high in antioxidants and other anti-cancer